Brooklyn House owner returns as a resident
Brooklyn House Nursing Home in Attleborough has not always been a nursing home, it was once the residence of one of our residents and his family.
Herbert's daughter, Rosalind remembers the original Brooklyn House as a young child. It was later purchased by property developers and demolished to build the current Brooklyn House Nursing Home, car park and Lidl.
Brooklyn House was originally built in 1928 as a spacious family home and in the 1950's was owned by her Grandmother William James Houchen and Grandmother Emily Sarah (nee Harlow). They retired there from Rookery Farm, Rockland All Saints. They had three children, Barbara Joan, Muriel and Herbert.
Brooklyn was a grand town house with a black marble hallway and stair columns, with 4 bedrooms it was an imposing house for the times. The Drawing Room had a bay window which let the sunshine in and had a spectacular round mahogany table. The gardens were well stocked with roses, and had an orchard full of pear, apple and plum trees.
When young, William had an apprenticeship in the Drapery trade with 'Rotherhams' in London, and it was here he met his wife, Emily. When WW2 began William joined the Royal Bucks Hussars, a Calvary Regiment, It was converted to a Machine Gun Regiment after they had been in Egypt, and out from Alexandria one day on a troop ship they were torpedoed and picked up by the Japanese navy. William was one of seven who had survived.
Emily's family came from Kent and lived at Nash Court Farm, near Margate. Her father, Herbert William Harlow was a keen member of the Thanet Harriers and East Kent Yeomanry. He died from complications with appendicitis at 46. Emily was a true lady, very gracious, well spoken and always wore a hat. After her death from breast cancer aged 72 in 1963, Grandfather moved to a smaller bungalow just further along the Queen Road in Attleborough ad lived there with a housekeeper until he died aged 81.
